


Pitcher? Or Catcher?

by mambo



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Baseball, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baseball, M/M, Modern Era, Shrunkyclunks, cap!steve - Freeform, modern!Bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 08:18:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17056202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mambo/pseuds/mambo
Summary: Captain America's opportunity to throw the first pitch at a Dodgers game is cut short when their catcher, Bucky Barnes, throws a ball at Steve Rogers' dick instead.





	Pitcher? Or Catcher?

**Author's Note:**

> To honor the victims of the shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, I wrote fics to benefit HIAS, an incredible organization that’s done so much good for refugees around the world. mossgorl asked for a baseball player AU. Thank you for your generosity, mossgorl!!

“Cap, who are you rooting for this baseball season?” a reporter asks from the pack in front of the Avengers.

Captain America perks up for the first time since the press conference began. “Baseball?” He grins. “Well, I guess they moved out of Brooklyn, but the Dodgers will always be my team.”

“I root for the Yankees,” Iron Man interrupts.

“We all know that,” Black Widow says.

“Anyhow, they’ve got a great roster this year. They’ve got this great catcher, Bucky Barnes? Not every day that you have a catcher with a batting average like that.”

“As adorable as this is, does anyone have anyone have any questions about how we saved the city just now? Anyone? Bueller?” Iron Man asks before the press conference ends.

Bucky shuts his laptop and takes off the reading glasses he hates, setting them down on his bedside table. Of all of the surreal aspects of getting to be on a Major League Baseball team and having his dreams come true, knowing that Captain America not only knows who he is, but actively knows his batting average? That’s incredible.

His phone buzzes a second later with a text from one of his teammates.

_cap coming 2 next game. will throw 1_ _ st _ _pitch. wants 2 meet u_

Bucky’s eyes go wide. He picks his glasses back up and puts them back on just to make sure he’s reading the text correctly.

He is.

After taking his glasses off again, he lays down in bed and stares at the ceiling. His life is  _wild_.

— —

“Hi there,” Captain America says. He’s wearing a Dodgers jersey that is maybe one size too small, a pair of aviator sunglasses, and a blue baseball cap. Bucky’d known that he was tall and big, but there’s something solid about his presence, some kind of aura that comes off of him in waves. It makes Bucky stand up straighter and his heart race.

“Hi,” Bucky squeaks, sounding less than confident. Taylor — who he’s been warming up with — laughs. After he catches Taylor’s throw, he may throw it back a bit harder than strictly necessary.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Steve Rogers,” he says, extending his hand. “I know your name already,” he adds with a chuckle.

Bucky takes off his glove, then reaches out and shakes it. “Nice to meet you.”

“I always look forward to watching your games. You’re a helluva player.” He leans back on his heels, sticking his hand in his jeans pockets.

“Thank you,” Bucky says, palm feeling sweaty as he pulls his glove back on. “I’m a bit fan of how you save the world all the time,” he adds, then wishes Taylor would throw a ball straight into his face.

But instead of being weird about it, Steve laughs. “Thanks. It’s no trouble.” He reaches over and claps Bucky on the back. “Good luck out there. I’ll be rooting for you.”

“Thanks,” Bucky says just before Steve walks away in order to introduce himself to Maeda. Bucky bites down on his bottom lip as he watches him go. And then Steve turns around, looks at Bucky again, then smiles.

Seeing it feels a lot like getting hit in the head by a fly ball, if getting hit in the head by a fly ball felt good.

— —

Ninety minutes later, he’s in his gear and looking at Steve up on the pitcher’s mound.

“I forgot the ball,” Steve yells, then gives an apologetic shrug.

Bucky nods, then looks to the umpire standing behind him. The ump hands him a ball, then Bucky stands up and throws it.

Except it kind of slips as it leaves his hand, going a little more forcefully than he meant it to.

And he notices at that moment that Steve’s head is turned, looking at another umpire, walking over to him with another ball.

Bucky yelps as the ball hits Steve Rogers, Captain America, in the dick.

— —

“Congrats on neutering a national icon,” Muncy says as he pats Bucky on the back as Captain America is escorted off of the field, an icepack on his dick.

“I’m going to get fired, aren’t I?” Bucky asks.

No one looks him in the eye.

Well, it was a good run while it lasted.

— —

At the end of the game — which they somehow still managed to win — Bucky sheepishly enters Steve’s hotel room. He got the information from his manager, who told him to go fix what he’d done, as if he could undo that throw and keep himself from humiliating the Dodgers’ most important fan.

He knows that can’t be undone. But the least he can do is go apologize to a guy who’s saved the world from aliens multiple times.

“Oh hi,” Steve says from the couch, smile spreading on his face. He’s wearing soft grey sweatpants and a white shirt. He doesn’t even have an icepack nearby, which is actually a pretty big relief to Bucky’s eyes.

“Hi,” Bucky says. “I brought you flowers.” He hold out the somewhat-sad looking bouquet he bought from a guy on the street on the way to the hotel.

“Wow, flowers,” Steve says, surprisingly not sounding sarcastic. He stands up. “Thanks, Bucky. That means a lot.”

“I’m sorry for hitting you,” Bucky says as Steve approaches.

Steve shakes his head. “There’s no need to apologize. Honestly, I was just sort of psyched to get hit by my favorite player. I’m your biggest fan, you know,” he says as he takes the bouquet from Bucky’s hand. Well, not really. He leaves his hand on top of Bucky’s on the bouquet. Bucky’s eyes look down at the bouquet, then up at Steve. “I was also a big fan of the way you came out so publicly last year. I thought that was very brave.”

“Oh.” Bucky’s throat goes a little dry. “That.”

“You know, you didn’t break anything down there.” Steve’s eyes dart down to the bulge in his grey sweatpants.

“That’s good. That would be a real shame if anything happened…” He pauses. “Down there.”

“Yeah?” Steve asks, moving his free hand to Bucky’s hip.

Bucky exhales. “You wanna pitch?” he asks. “Or catch?”

“You’re the best catcher in the League. I’ll let you stick to what you know best,” Steve says before leaning in for a kiss.

— —

Later, when people ask Bucky what it’s like to date Captain America, he hums. “It’s a little surreal dating my biggest fan,” he says. “But I got used to it.”

“What can I say?” Steve will add with a shrug. “I’ve always been a big fan of the Dodgers.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can also donate to [HIAS](https://www.hias.org/)!
> 
> Follow me on [Twitter](twitter.com/mamboao3) or [Tumblr](whtaft.tumblr.com).


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